Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

Saints coach Sean Payton speaks frankly about how it’s not really possible to substitute what his team lost when it traded running back Darren Sproles to the Philadelphia Eagles.

“I don’t think you ever replace a skill set like Darren’s,” Payton said to media at the annual NFL owners meeting in Orlando on Wednesday. “It’s unique, and it’s different really than our league has seen in a while with a player of his stature.”

But, in reserve running back Travaris Cadet, the Saints have a player on their roster who — while not nearly as proven as Sproles — shares some qualities with the man who led New Orleans in all-purpose yards each of the three seasons he was there, Payton added.
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And he’ll have plenty of help from the remaining members of his position group: Mark Ingram, Khiry Robinson and Pierre Thomas.

“He’s a guy that can run the routes (Sproles) did,” Payton said of Cadet. “He is a utility player that has gotten better at the core skill set of just being a runner but is very comfortable when it comes to being a receiver out the backfield.”

Few will argue with Payton that he shipped off a valuable commodity in Sproles, who the Eagles acquired for a fifth-round pick earlier in March. Among his many feats, Sproles set an NFL record for all-purpose yards (2,696) in 2011 and scored 24 touchdowns in 48 games for the Saints.

But Payton knows there are three reasons not to fret about not having Sproles on the roster. First, the Saints still have Robinson and Ingram, who especially showed how dangerous they can be on the ground in a wildcard win last season at Philadelphia in which the Saints racked up 185 yards, the second-most in franchise history for a postseason contest.

Then, there is the eight-year veteran Thomas, who as the Saints' leading rusher and led the NFL in catches with 77.

“We’ve carried and had quite a bit of depth at that position,” Payton said. “We’ve always felt it’s important.”

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Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

Cadet has a massive fumbling issue though

he fumbled like 4 times in the preseason alone

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

Word.

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

Which is why I would rather the Saints had cut him than any of the other RBs.

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

It was actually 1 lost fumble, same number as Robinson.

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

1 lost fumble, but quite a few that someone recovered which is still an issue

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

1st rounder for CJ Spiller.

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

Actually 2 fumbles and 1 lost, same as Khiry Robinson.

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

And Cadet just might be the reason why the staff was willing to ship Sproles. They probably know something we don't.

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

Cadet needs to establish himself in TC. Sproles was a business decision......and nothing more.

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

+1 and no doubt.

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

I haven't seen Cadet really do anything, 3 years and counting. I hope Payton is throwing a smokescreen to pick up a back in the draft.

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

Bit harsh to judge him on three years non production when he only made the team two years ago. Year one he was the 5th back on the depth chart and the same last year.

His kick returning isnt bad
He averages 26.5 yards per attempt and out of 35 returns 21 have been 20 yards plus. The blocking has been the issues on returns imo, too many holds happening when a big play gets made.

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

Same people that say preseason games are meaningless reference preseason games when discussing a players skills.

Can we get a little consistency around here? LOL

It was a 4th string defense that caused the fumbles and he will not be facing a 4th string defense in regular season games.. how's that?:saintsfan:

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

My mistake 2 years going into the 3rd, but he still has not showed me he isn't eaisily replaced by a back than can contibute more to the team than the 5th back, I guess with Sproles gone he moved up a spot by default.

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

Cadet will get his chance. I would love to see Saints draft Charles Sims RB WVU he reminds a lot of Matt Forte. All purpose athlete good hands ,inside and out side runner ,excellent pass blocker . I would love to see.what Payton could do.with kid.

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

Look if payton is so convinced cadet can help.. Why wasent he in there more.. This is a fn joke if you think cadet could even fill a little roll.. Say what u want but he hasent been productive enough... We need another reggie bush/darren sproles if not we will be screwed cause honestly we have done nothing but get alot worse on offense.. In the draft i hope we go wr/returner.. speed back.. Then a corner i belive we have no 2nd corner but we need some weapons on offense

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

With saying that our defense should be hell 1 or 2 ranked, but sproles open so many holes we need a replacement.. Sorry guys cadets not it

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

Dude you sound like you think you have some superior understanding of all things Saints and are dispensing your wisdom to the rabble. I have a feeling that you don't know any more than the rest of us, and if you do, please tell us where you're getting your exclusive insights.

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

No one is saying Cadet is Sproles, only that he possesses a similar skill set and will be called on to help do some of the things sproles did.

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

He did have a couple of good run back, but for some reason he didn't get any more chances. I can only think that SP knows what he is capable of.

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

I think it was primarily because he wasn't needed

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

Sorry but Cadet is needs to prove something before he is just given Sproles roll.

I don't think Cadet is worth a roster spot ( just my opinion) and really hope this is a ploy for draft purposes.

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

To recap:
our head coach says we have a guy who can 'help' fill the void left by Sproles
immediately there is a lynch mob that says Cadet won't make the team, fumbles too much, and that he needs to prove himself

no offense, but I think I'll just go with SP's assessment

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

Like I said before it's just my opinion. I have been and will be wrong about many things before my time is up.

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

I will be surprise if Cadet is on the team next year

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

i think the point is it will take more than one player to fill the void and even then we may come up short.

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

Referencing "void" feels like the Sproles roll is a part of the game plan that cant change... I figured certain rolls going away would be a huge start in addressing our predictability and I get he feeling some people would rather be comfortable than Champions. The two do not necessarily coexist.

How valuable is the "Sproles roll"? Depends on what you consider successful.

Our greatest success was a season absent of the Sproles roll, and Goliath like TE.:saintsfan:

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

Cadet is replaceable at this point. no big loss

Robinson is a huge question mark going into the season. he had his issue holding onto the ball also and got lucky once or twice in the regular season when he put the rock on the turf. he needs to prove himself still

Ingram is still an enigma wrapped inside a riddle.

PT is the only real thing we got you can place your faith in at this point.

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

I just want a young speed rb or wr.. I want beckham hands down or landry. Id be happy

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

Like an acid tripper chasing butterflies with this one…

Alaska

Re: Sean Payton: Darren Sproles can’t be replaced, but Travaris Cadet, others can ease loss
 

Through the window pane she flew in.